5 Benefits of Folic Acid, Plus the Dosage and Risks to Know

If you’re taking a vitamin B complicated daily, you are seemingly effectively conscious of the various advantages B nutritional vitamins have in your general well being. One among these important nutritional vitamins is folate (or B9), which helps your physique construct DNA, RNA, and purple blood cells—making it essential throughout being pregnant in your child’s improvement.

Whereas most individuals get sufficient folate from foods like darkish, leafy greens, beans, and nuts, it is also added to sure meals merchandise and made right into a complement referred to as folic acid—a type of folate that is extra simply absorbed by your physique, and is usually advisable in case your folate ranges are low.

Regardless of the way you get this vitamin, it’s necessary you get sufficient of it so your physique can really feel its greatest. Right here, consultants share all of the optimistic results folic acid has in your well being, who ought to take a folic acid complement, and who ought to persist with getting folate from solely meals.

First, how a lot folic acid do you want per day?

The typical grownup ought to get 400 micrograms DFE (dietary folate equal) or 240 micrograms of folic acid from dietary supplements and fortified meals per day, based on the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Tip: DFE displays the upper absorption of folic acid over folate naturally current in meals. For reference,1 microgram of folate from meals is equal to 0.6 micrograms of folic acid from dietary supplements and fortified meals.

5 well being advantages of folic acid

1. It may possibly stop beginning defects in being pregnant

While you’re pregnant, folic acid helps your child’s neural tube—what finally turns into their mind and backbone—develop.

“Folic acid helps the manufacturing of nucleotides,” that are the fundamental constructing blocks of RNA and DNA, says William Li, MD, writer of ‌Eat to Beat Your Diet: Burn Fat, Heal Your Metabolism, and Live Longer‌‌. Nucleotides assist kind the central nervous system in a growing embryo, he provides.‌

Which means, getting sufficient “folic acid is important for stopping main beginning defects of your child’s mind and backbone, referred to as neural tube defects, or NTDs,” says Stephanie Hack, MD, FACOG, a board-certified OB/GYN and founding father of Lady Parts Doctor. Neural tube beginning defects could cause critical medical issues in infants together with:

• Cleft palate (a gap or cut up within the roof of the mouth that occurs when tissue does not be a part of collectively utterly)
• Spina bifida (a situation that impacts the backbone and should trigger bodily and/or mental disabilities)
• Mind injury

So how a lot folic acid must you take if you happen to’re pregnant or planning to grow to be pregnant? “The CDC recommends taking about 400 micrograms of folic acid (or 600 micrograms DFE) daily to assist stop beginning defects,” says Dr. Hack.

Consuming naturally folate-rich meals (extra on this later) can even make it easier to get the quantity you want throughout being pregnant. Many breads, pastas, and cereals are fortified with folic acid, so consuming these can even make it easier to meet your each day goal.

That stated, it’s fairly arduous to get 400 micrograms of folate by means of weight loss plan alone. That’s the place prenatal nutritional vitamins turn out to be useful. They’re formulated with simply the correct quantity of folic acid for pregnant folks. And if you happen to’re planning to grow to be pregnant, begin taking a folic acid complement 12 weeks earlier than conceiving, says Dr. Hack. That is useful as a result of neural tube defects usually occur early in being pregnant, typically earlier than you even know you are anticipating, she provides.

“The CDC recommends taking about 400 micrograms of folic acid (or 600 DFE) daily to forestall beginning defects.”—Stephanie Hack, MD, OB/GYN

2. It may possibly deal with a folate deficiency

Whereas most individuals get sufficient folate (particularly in international locations just like the U.S. the place meals like cereals and pastas are fortified with folic acid), sure teams are nonetheless inclined to folate deficiency.

Folks with alcohol use dysfunction, inflammatory bowel illness (IBD), and celiac illness can all have decrease ranges of folic acid, per Mount Sinai. These situations can mess along with your physique’s means to soak up sure nutritional vitamins and vitamins.

Folks with an MTHFR gene variant might also be extra susceptible to a folate deficiency. The MTHFR gene is important for making the MTHFR protein—a sort of protein that helps your physique soak up folate, based on the National Library of Medicine. So if in case you have a mutation in an MTHFR gene, your physique might not be capable to course of folate very effectively.

Folks taking sure medicines might also have low ranges of folic acid. Examples of medicines that may intrude along with your physique’s absorption of folate embody the next, per Mount Sinai:

• Antacids, used to deal with heartburn
• H2 blockers, used to cut back abdomen acid, together with cimetidine (Tagamet), famotidine (Pepcid), and ranitidine (Zantac)
• Proton pump inhibitors, used to cut back abdomen acid, together with someprazole (Nexium), lansoprazole (Prevacid), omeprazole (Prilosec), and rabeprazole (Aciphex)
• Bile acid sequestrants, used to decrease ldl cholesterol, together with colestipol (Colestid), cholestyramine (Questran), and colsevelam (Welchol)
• Anti-seizure medicines, together with phenobarbital, primidone (Mysoline), and carbamazepine (Tegretol)
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicine (NSAIDs), together with ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve)
• Sulfasalazine (Azulfidine), used to deal with inflammatory bowel illness (IBD) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
• Triamterene (Dyrenium), a diuretic (water capsule)
• Cycloserine, an antibiotic
• Pyrimethamine (Daraprim), used to forestall and deal with malaria and to deal with toxoplasmosis
• Trimethoprim, an antibiotic used to deal with urinary tract infections

What are the signs of a folic acid deficiency?

In case your folic acid ranges are missing, it could present up in your well being. Folic acid deficiency can result in the next, per Mount Sinai:

• Poor progress (in infants and youngsters)
• Tongue irritation
• Gingivitis
• Lack of urge for food
• Shortness of breath
• Diarrhea
• Irritability
• Forgetfulness
• Psychological sluggishness

3. It helps your coronary heart well being

Folic acid can also be necessary in your heart health. “It helps your physique break down an amino acid referred to as homocysteine,” says Dr. Li. When homocysteine ranges get too excessive, it could injury your endothelium—or the liner of your blood vessels. Over time, this may trigger blockages that result in critical coronary heart issues like stroke, provides Dr. Li.

Whereas there is no concrete proof that prime quantities of homocysteine trigger coronary heart illness, there are some research to recommend that folks with elevated homocysteine ranges are greater than twice as prone to have a stroke than these with wholesome ranges, and are at a better threat of coronary heart illness general, per Mount Sinai.

Both approach, getting sufficient folic acid is a secure wager in relation to decreasing dangerous ranges of homocysteine and protecting your heart. Attempt to fill your weight loss plan with folic-acid wealthy meals. And if in case you have a historical past of coronary heart issues, ask your physician whether or not you may benefit from taking a vitamin B complement.

4. It might assist decrease your most cancers threat

A weight loss plan wealthy in folic acid could be protecting in opposition to some types of most cancers, together with abdomen, breast, cervical, pancreatic, and colorectal cancer, based on Mount Sinai.

The reverse could also be true, too: “Low folate ranges within the physique are related to an elevated threat of most cancers,” says Dr. Li, citing an August 2018 evaluation in Current Nutrition Reports.

Whereas scientists are nonetheless uncertain why folic acid has this anti-cancer impact, some suppose it’d relate “to folate’s involvement with the right synthesis of DNA,” Dr. Li says. DNA is mainly the “genetic code” or blueprint for the right improvement and functioning of your physique. So if one thing goes incorrect when making DNA, mutations can occur, which may typically result in most cancers.

Nonetheless, there’s no concrete knowledge that taking folic acid dietary supplements prevents most cancers, per Mount Sinai. The easiest way to cut back your most cancers threat and keep wholesome general is by consuming a balanced weight loss plan with folic acid-rich meals, and by seeing your physician repeatedly for any advisable most cancers screenings primarily based in your age, household historical past, and present well being.

5. It might assist with melancholy

In line with the NIH, folks with low blood ranges of folate usually tend to have melancholy. A December 2017 meta-analysis within the Journal of Psychiatric Research additionally discovered that folks with melancholy might have decrease ranges of folate of their blood than these with out melancholy. This may have an effect on your remedy, too, as folks with low folate ranges might not reply as effectively to antidepressants in comparison with folks with wholesome folate ranges, per the NIH.

This implies getting sufficient folate might assist support your mental health and probably cut back the signs of melancholy, together with suicidality. In actual fact, a large-scale September 2022 research in JAMA Psychiatry discovered that taking 1 milligram of folic acid per day (which is taken into account the higher tolerable restrict for adults) was related to decrease charges of suicide and self-harm makes an attempt in additional than 850,000 research contributors.

Whereas these are promising findings, the connection between folic acid and melancholy remains to be not absolutely understood. For instance, it is unclear whether or not a decreased urge for food (a doable symptom of melancholy) results in folate deficiency or whether or not folate deficiency contributes to melancholy, says Dr. Hack.

Researchers do have some preliminary theories about this connection, although. One is that “folic acid is required by the mind to provide neurotransmitters resembling serotonin and dopamine,” says Dr. Li. As a result of serotonin and dopamine each play an necessary function in temper, rising them might cut back the signs of melancholy, he notes.

That stated, different research have discovered that taking folic acid isn’t any higher than a placebo in relation to relieving melancholy, based on Mount Sinai.

The underside line? There is no assure folic acid dietary supplements alone will deal with your melancholy signs. Discuss to your physician earlier than attempting them, and if they offer the OK, add it to your remedy plan alongside clinically confirmed strategies like remedy and medicine.

Dietary sources of folic acid

For many adults (except people who find themselves pregnant or these attempting to grow to be pregnant), it’s greatest to get all of the folate you want from complete meals. The excellent news? Numerous meals are naturally wealthy in folate, or are fortified with folic acid, so it’s seemingly you will get sufficient when consuming a balanced weight loss plan.

Some meals naturally excessive in folate embody the next, per the National Institutes of Health (NIH):

• Beef liver
• Greens (particularly asparagus, brussels sprouts, and darkish inexperienced leafy greens like spinach and mustard greens)
• Fruits and fruit juices (particularly oranges and orange juice)
• Nuts, beans, and peas (like peanuts, black-eyed peas, and kidney beans)

Folic acid can also be added to the next meals, per the NIH:

• Enriched bread, flour, cornmeal, pasta, and rice
• Fortified breakfast cereals
• Fortified corn masa flour (used to make corn tortillas and tamales, for instance)

Who ought to take folic acid dietary supplements? 

Whereas most individuals ought to be capable to get sufficient folic acid from their diets, some teams, like the next, might profit from taking a complement.

• People who find themselves pregnant or plan to conceive: Begin taking prenatals with folic acid three months earlier than you intend to get pregnant, and intention for 400 micrograms per day, says Dr. Hack. If you happen to’re at a better threat of getting a child with neural tube defects (as a result of you’ve got a seizure dysfunction or had different infants with neural tube defects), 4,000 micrograms per day is advisable, she provides. However all the time speak to your physician first about correct dosage.
• Folks with excessive blood ranges of homocysteine: In case your blood work reveals you’ve got excessive ranges of homocysteine, taking a folic acid complement might cut back your threat of coronary heart issues and decrease the amino acid to more healthy ranges in your blood, says Dr. Li. The advisable dose on this case is 400 micrograms, he provides.
• Folks vulnerable to folate deficiency: This contains folks with alcohol use dysfunction, extreme malnutrition, inflammatory bowel illness (IBD), celiac illness, or the MTHFR gene variant, says Dr. Hack.
• Folks with melancholy: In case your physician agrees, taking a folic acid complement alongside different therapies, like antidepressants and life-style modifications, may assist cut back your signs. However consider researchers are nonetheless unclear about how a lot folic acid to take to alleviate melancholy, says Dr. Li.

It doesn’t matter what your scenario, all the time verify along with your physician earlier than beginning a brand new complement as a result of some might negatively work together with different medicines or trigger unintended effects. Your physician can even assist determine the suitable dosage for you.

Who mustn’t take folic acid dietary supplements?

For some folks, taking a folic acid complement would possibly do extra hurt than good. Use warning if you happen to belong to one of many following teams, and all the time speak to your physician earlier than beginning any new complement:

• Folks allergic to folic acid: It is uncommon, however doable, to have a folic acid allergy. Indicators of an allergic response embody pores and skin rash, itching, redness, and in extreme instances, issue respiratory, per the Mayo Clinic. When you’ve got any of those signs after taking a complement, cease taking it and see your physician as quickly as doable.
• Individuals who take sure medicines: Typically folic acid can intrude with sure medicines and make them much less efficient. For instance, “folks taking the seizure treatment Dilantin (phenytoin) ought to speak to their physician earlier than taking folic acid, as a result of it may decrease the drug focus in your blood, making it much less efficient,” says Dr. Li. The identical goes for different anticonvulsant medicines like fosphenytoin (Cerebyx) and primidone (Mysoline), per the Mayo Clinic. Folic acid can even intrude with methotrexate to deal with most cancers, per Mount Sinai, and reduce the effectiveness of barbiturates and the anti-malaria drug pyrimethamine (Daraprim), per the Mayo Clinic.

Is it doable to take an excessive amount of folic acid?

While you take the each day advisable dosage, folic acid is mostly secure. However if you happen to take an excessive amount of (greater than 1,000 micrograms, or the each day higher restrict), you may have adverse unintended effects. Although uncommon, excessive doses of folic acid could cause the next signs, per Mount Sinai:

• Abdomen issues
• Sleep issues
• Pores and skin reactions
• Confusion
• Lack of urge for food
• Nausea
• In extreme instances, seizures

“Excessive doses of folic acid can even masks signs of a vitamin B12 deficiency,” says Dr. Hack. An extended-term vitamin B12 deficiency may be harmful, as it could result in everlasting injury of the mind, spinal wire, and nerves, based on the NIH.

You’ll be able to often keep away from this downside by taking a complement with one hundred pc of the each day worth of each folic acid and vitamin B12, per the Mayo Clinic.

To be secure, all the time speak to your physician earlier than taking greater than 800 micrograms of folic acid.